travel – Page 15 – Chasing Butterflies

In keeping with the tone my last blog, which happened to be on one of my favourite little lanes in Córdoba, I´ve decided to disclose yet another fascinating lane, or should I say, alley – Callejon de Arquillos.

To the right of this quintessential little street, Calle Cabezas, lies the charming Calleja de Arquillos.

I must admit this little beauty is well off the beaten track. I had been in Córdoba almost 7 months before I discovered it and, even then, I didn´t stumble across it on my own! One of my friends, having accidently happened upon it on a get fit mission, was kind enough to share this little gem with me; so if you´re reading this, thank you!

When I saw this alley, admittedly, I was overcome by a mixture of feelings. Apart from being blown away by its simplistic beauty and the way in which the morning light seemed to playfully bounce from wall to wall highlighting each little crevice on its journey, I was intrigued by the history that was locked away behind the big iron gates. Iron gates which, not only serve to keep curious people like me from passing through this ancient alley, but also, add to its mystery, character and charm. After this, the only emotion I had left to feel, while it may sound a little odd, was irritation. I found I was annoyed at myself for not having a camera with me, I tend to be a bit on the snap happy side of life, to capture the moment in the glorious morning sunlight!

However, after a brief moment of cursing myself, I got myself together and came home filled with an immense desire to uncover the deep dark secret that is being kept under lock and key. Sadly, it proved to be a difficult quest, the only bit of information I found was about the legend of Arquillos Alley. This legend says that the Caliph, a Muslim religious ruler, executed his seven sons and hung their heads in this alley for everyone to see. While this tale does add an eerie element to the alley, it does nothing to satisfy my need for information!Nonetheless, I´m captivated by this alley and, who knows, perhaps it´s the fact that I know relatively little about it that adds to its charm, for without mystery life would be dull!

Anyway, having walked past this alley several times since then, and honestly falling more and more in love with it each time, I have managed to capture it on my camera. Sadly, my photos fail to capture the fine detail of the walls, the gaiety of the sunlight and the sense of mystery so integral to this Alley. However, I do believe that they do manage to capture some of this alleys beauty, and will allow you to see what its allure is!

Calleja de Arquillos

Calle de Arquillos

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog; what do you think of the alley?

Thank you for reading!

If anyone does happen to know anything about Calle de Arquillos please let me know!

Giana xoxo

Calle del Pañuelo

I will readily admit that, at times I become so spellbound by the little hidden beauties Córdoba has to offer, I often find myself feeling like a tourist in my own city! It´s main allure, well for me anyway, is that you can completely lose yourself in its labyrinth of narrow streets which are suffused with the sweet smell of oranges and, especially at this time of year, the distinctive aroma of flowers. These maze-like streets are framed by ever so charming time-worn buildings which, I´m sure, if their walls could talk would have a lot of tales to tell! You could honestly spend hours, believe me I have, wandering through these quaint little streets soaking up the history that continues to unfold with each new turn you take. It honestly is magical.

Yesterday, seeing as the sun decided to bless us with a much awaited appearance, I ended up going on one of these mindless wanders. I say ended up as I started out, as I mentioned in my pervious blog, with an aim to take photos of the cruces. Obviously it was an aim that I wound up achieving but that´s not the point! The point is, on this wander, I became inspired to write about the little nooks and crannies I have been lucky enough to discover by living here. Nooks and crannies which, sadly, often go unnoticed by those who visit Córdoba. So I have decided to dedicate a section of my blog to these hidden beauties, I think I shall name it – Uncovering Beauty – quiet a fitting title if I do say so myself!

I am going to start my section with one of the most intriguing, and perhaps my favourite, little lane that Córdoba has to offer – Calle del Pañuelo, or neckerchief lane. Calle Pañuelo, a Moorish style lane, is located in the heart of the Jewish quarter, just beside la plaza de la Concha, It is an endearing little lane which, as the name suggests, is about the width of a neckerchief, 75cm. At the end of this whimsical little lane lies a tiny plaza, 15 meters squared to be exact, which is considered to be one of the smallest plazas in the world. The distinct smell of oranges and the soothing sound of the water from the miniature fountain add a certain charm to this quirky plaza. To add to its quirkiness, the plaza has no exit. The only way out of this delightful plaza is to retrace your footsteps and return by the very path you entered with!

I´m not quite sure if there is an actual history to this plaza or not, but, with graffiti covering the walls and doorways of the plaza and writing etched into the trunk of the orange trees, it´s safe to say, it´s certainly got some tales to tell. In my eyes this plaza has an untold amount of character and personality and I´m so glad to have stumbled upon it on one of my countless wanders through the city!